Why me?
by TowerPrincess
Summary: Lily is still ill.....
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: sadly, Meg Cabot owns all the characters  
  
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Monday, 12th February Early morning, The Loft  
  
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO??? Ok, so we need to go soon, and we're going to pick up Lilly and her brother, Michael. Only the most gorgeous boy in the entire universe and what happens? My hair frizzes up. I have a huge spot on my nose. There is cat hair all over my uniform. My combat boot lace has snapped. My nail, (which isn't't even real) is broken and has now gone all jagged and gross.  
  
Great.  
  
Why does this kind of stuff always happen to me? I've put concealer on, but the spot is still threatening to erupt, my hair looks like it's about to snap the hairband and I have no time to file the nail. Why am I even bothering? It's not like Michael will even notice what I look like. I'm just his sister's best friend. Still I can't help feeling that maybe one day....... No. That's it. He's way older too, there is no way he's going to be interested in a freshman like me. So I'm not going to try. Oh God, we've got to go now. There's not even time to try. Maybe I should take some sellotape in the limo, I could try and take the cat hair off on the way there.... Later on Monday, Toilets I wished I'd tried a little harder this morning. So, we were on our way and I was frantically taking off the ginger cat hairs when we were suddenly there. And Michael got in. I was just sitting there looking like a human frizzball with a load of cat hair covered sellotape in my hand, when the guy I've had a crush on for ages gets in my limo. Plus, Lily didn't get in behind him. So I was all "Where's Lily?" And she was ill! Lily was ill! I was going to spend a whole limo ride alone with Michael. Then I panicked. I started drumming my nails nervously as the limo moved on. Then i remembered one was broken so I quickly hid them. I looked over at Michael and he just smiled at me. It was such a nice smile, that I practically melted and I smiled back. I even forgot and the spot on my nose would probably be made even bigger by me smiling. Then we talked and it was so weird. Somehow we just managed to find stuff to say. I've only ever been in a car with a guy before and that was with Josh Richter and then we had nothing to say, but with Michael it was different. We were actually having a good time. See, this is one of the reasons why Michael is my soul mate. I mean, he's so easy to talk to and he makes me laugh. And he laughs at my jokes too, instead of looking at me like I'm some moron with a severely warped sense of humour.  
  
When we got to school, he was like, "See you in G and T, Mia." It was only when he got out that I realised how close we'd been sitting. All that must mean something, right? I mean, we can talk Ok, he sat real close and he wasn't desperate to get out the car at the end. From now on I'm going to get up earlier, I have to look my best. I'll begin a whole new skin regime. I'll wash my hai - Oh, there's the bell. Gotta go.   
  
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*Ok, so I know this sucks but should I continue? This is my first fanfic so please be nice!* 


	2. Lilly is still ill

Sorry it's taken a while for me to update. The computer crashed and we've only just got it properly working again. Thanks to everybody who reviewed. I sorry if some of you though Mia was a bit whiney but in the books she does worry about her hair and stuff. Ok, so here's the new chapter, please, please review this as well!  
  
Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns everything I write about. Well, except for the rough plot but you know what I mean.  
  
Tuesday 13th February, School  
  
Ok, so I tried the whole beauty regime thing. I even got up a whole hour earlier. I moisturised, exfoliated and loads of other stuff that models apparently do every morning. And I have on thing to say: this stuff is hard. And tiring. How can people do it every single day? They must be pretty dedicated. Or mad. By the time I'd finished, my face was tingling and also kind of itchy. But I always thought that was supposed to be a good thing. It was worth it though. I mean, it wasn't stunning but it was still ok. Better than normal, anyway. Paolo would be proud. Anyway, I didn't want to look like I was trying too hard.  
  
But as I was in the limo on the way to the Moscovitzs' apartment, I started to have doubts. What if Lilly was better? She hated being ill, and in all the time the I'd known her she'd only been ill, like, twice. And if she was better she'd probably be angry with me. For conforming or whatever, we might even go through the whole selling-out thing again. So as we were pulling up I was mentally running through an imaginary argument and all the clever things I could fire back at Lilly when she accused me of being like Lana. I tensed as the door opened but then relaxed as Michael got in and closed it behind him.  
  
"Hey," I said as casually as I could while trying to hide a grin, "is Lilly still ill?" Ok, so I know it's wrong of me to be happy that my best friend's I, and it's not like I want her to be in pain or anything. It's just that it's so rare for me to be alone with Michael. I mean, it's like my only chance to convince him that I'm not just some huge freak. So I'll admit that I was pleased when Michael confirmed my hopes.  
  
"Yeah," he said, smiling, "but she's not too happy about it believe me. She's even worse when she's ..... Jesus, Thermopolis, who are you trying to impress?"  
  
"Nobody," I answered quickly, blushing.  
  
Michael narrowed his very lovely, brown eyes. "Since when have you practically permed your hair before school?"  
  
I touched my under-control hair self consciously.  
  
"Oh that?" I replied airily, though inside I was panicking, "I just thought I'd have a change."  
  
"Huh." Was All Michael replied.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked anxiously, "does it look really bad?"  
  
"No," said Michael, obviously surprised, "It looks...good. Really good, in fact..." He trailed off, grumpily.  
  
I frowned, was Michael Moscovitz jealous?  
  
Whoa, reality check, Mia.  
  
We sat in silence for a while and then I desperately tried to break the tense atmosphere with some dumb joke. At first I was ashamed that I had stooped to such pitiful levels of humour, but was rewarded when Michael laughed. I apologised for the awful joke, but he just smiled even more. And suddenly it was just like the morning before.  
  
When we stopped outside school, Michael suddenly turned to me,  
  
"Mia," he started, "I was just wondering..."  
  
Then frowned and stared at me where I was sitting nervously.  
  
"I don't want to alarm you, but you seem to have a rash."  
  
I froze.  
  
"A rash?" I repeated, warily.  
  
"Um, yeah.."  
  
I jumped up and looked in the limo's mirror and tried not to scream as I caught sight of my reflection. It was truly gross. There were these little red bumps all over my cheeks and forehead. I must have been allergic to my face mask.  
  
I slumped back in my seat and covered my face, trying not to cry in front of Michael.  
  
"Hey," he said gently, "it's not that bad."  
  
"It is, it's awful."  
  
"Seriously, Mia, you're over-reacting. You look fine."  
  
I smiled wanly at him.  
  
"I think I'm going to go to the nurse," I said weakly, "Michael.... Could you possibly tell Tina where I am?"  
  
"Sure no problem," he smiled easily.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The rest of the day was just so humiliating The nurse wouldn't let me go home but insisted I return to class. She said it was harmless. Harmless? Something as bad as this will haunt me for the rest of my high school life. But school nurses just don't seem to appreciate this.  
  
So I trailed back off to class. Tina was really nice. She tried to distract me by talking about how nice Michael had been about it but that just made me even more miserable. He must think I'm such an idiot. I mean, not only am I his little sister's best friend, but now I'm The Girl With A Rash.  
  
Lana was horrible too. She kept asking me where the mother ship was. I was too miserable to tell her to get a life.  
  
There is no way I am ever using a face mask again. Ever.  
  
Later. The Loft.  
  
Well there was some progress with Grandmere. She has arranged a dermatologist appointment for me tomorrow if it hasn't gone. She says it is unsightly for a princess to look as I did, which boosted my confidence no end.  
  
Mom just laughed. She handed me some ointment and told I'd just have to wait til it apsses. I didn't actually tell her about the dermatologist, as I'm sure she'd disapprove. She refused to let me stay off school tomorrow though. Does nobody understand how embarrassing this is?  
  
Even Later  
  
I was just online and so was Michael...  
  
  
  
CracKing: So, how are you?  
  
  
  
FtLouie: Fine, I guess.  
  
  
  
CracKing: is it better?  
  
  
  
FtLouie: Slightly. It won't be gone by tomorrow though. I'm just embarrassed.  
  
  
  
CracKing: Don't be, It's not as bad as you think, I promise.  
  
  
  
FtLouie: Hmmmm  
  
  
  
CracKing: Listen, do you mind about giving me a lift?  
  
Now that was way surprising  
  
FtLouie: No, why?  
  
  
  
CracKing: It's just that seeing as my lovely sister is ill, isn't it kind of strange to be giving me a lift? I mean, your best friend's older brother?  
  
I typed quickly, trying to calm myself so that he wouldn't know how panicked I was.  
  
  
  
FtLouie: No, It's not strange at all.  
  
  
  
CracKing: Are you sure? I can always get the subway.  
  
  
  
FtLouie: No! It really is fine, giving you a lift. I feel kind of selfish being in a limo on my own.  
  
Then, with my heart in my mouth:  
  
Besides, it's fun.  
  
  
  
CracKing: Yeah it is. Thanks.  
  
  
  
FtLouie: No problem.  
  
  
  
CracKing: Don't worry about you face. At least it's not a nasty case of tonsillitis.  
  
  
  
FtLouie: That's true. Oh, I'd better call your sister!  
  
  
  
CracKing: Please do, maybe then she'll stop complaining about how the society she does so much for has forgotten her.  
  
  
  
FtLouie: Oh God. Well, see you tomorrow then.  
  
  
  
CracKing: Yeah, see you. I hope you get better.  
  
  
  
Ha! He doesn't hate me. He hopes I get better! Now, I'd better call Lilly... 


	3. Phone Callls

Sorry I keep taking so long to update. It was my computer again. It wouldn't let me upload any of my chapters so I had to just go around reading loads of fanfics...not that that was such a bad thing. Funny how my computer keeps giving me problems with fanfic, maybe it's trying to tell me something...  
  
Thank you to all my lovely reviewers. You guys rock. Seriously, you all make my day, I hope you all like this new chapter. Please, please review and keep me smiling!  
  
Disclaimer – Meg Cabot owns all the characters....for the moment, anyway  
  
Please could someone tell me how to change the setting on my review thing so I can receive anonymous reviews? Unfortunately I'm not like Michael and so can't work out how to do it.  
  
Lily was pretty mad about me not calling. She had loads to say about it but she could barely talk so she didn't manage to yell at me. Which actually made a nice change. Even though she couldn't talk, we still managed to spend hours on the phone. So we arranged that I would go round today tomorrow. After school. And princess lessons.  
  
This is so unfair. If I had any other nice, NORMAL grandmother, she would be all, "of course you can miss princess lessons, Mia, You must go and visit your sick friend." But, of course, this is Grandmere we are talking about and she wouldn't let me go visit Lily even if she was dying. And I know it's totally wring to be mean about your own grandmother, but sometimes I seriously doubt that the woman has a heart.  
  
Anyway, after I got off the phone with Lily I had to ask mom about going over tomorrow. So I went into the lounge and there she was lying on the couch, with Mr Gianni's arm around her. They looked like the perfect, happy couple. It also made me feel a bit sick.  
  
Don't get me wrong, I really like Mr G, he's really cool. He brought us a foozball table, for God's sake. And he's the first guy to make my mom happy. But come on, the man's my algebra teacher. It's just wrong to be constantly walking in on you teacher with your mom.  
  
So I stood in the doorway and cleared my throat loudly. You know, trying to get their attention but not in a way that it was obvious that I was clearing my throat just to get their attention. Well, they certainly looked round, but that was because I was leaning against the doorframe choking. Damn, I really need to work on my subtlety.  
  
So when I had finished my imitation of Louie coughing up a furball, I attempted to stand up casually and ask, "Mom, can I go over to Lily's tomorrow evening?" I was painfully aware of how weak my voice was. Not to mention how gross I must have looked. I mean, my face must have been all red from the coughing and then all bumpy from the rash.  
  
Thank God Michael wasn't there.  
  
So mom said yes, probably out of pity, and then as I turned to leave she went, "Oh Mia, your Grandma called." "Really?" I said blankly, "which one?" "What do you mean which one?" She asked, annoyed. Mom hates to be reminded that she has parents somewhere too. "Your dad's mom obviously." "What did she want?" "You have a dermatologist appointment tomorrow morning." I grinned in a very unprincessy manner. Grandmere may be a mean old woman, but he still comes in useful. "Do I get to miss school?" "Yes," replied mum in a disapproving way, "but you know, honey, I'm not sure it's a very valid excuse. Your rash will go away, it's purely a cosmetic reason that you want to have professional help. It's just that the view of women in today's society is so demanding, if there was just..."  
  
I backed out of the room slowly. On the couch Mr G was attempting to sooth mom out of her feminist rant.  
  
Pregnant women can be dangerous.  
  
Later, The Loft  
  
I was just sitting in my room, inspecting the damage to my face when I suddenly realised something – if I was going to the dermatologist tomorrow and missing the beginning of school, then we wouldn't be able to give Michael a lift in the morning.  
  
I had to tell him that we couldn't. But I still felt really bad. I mean, the limo is kind of comfy.  
  
So I logged on, you know, expecting to just IM him, apologise and then do my homework.  
  
But, for what is like the first time ever, Michael wasn't online. I'm serious. I mean, sometimes I think that he's attached to a computer, he always online or something, but today he wasn't. The only possible explanation is that his computer must have crashed. I kind of felt sorry for him, it was pretty bad for me when my computer crashed that one time, but for Michael who regularly hacks into NASA websites just for fun, it must have been really, really bad.  
  
But, I soon got over my sympathy when I realised that I'd have to tell him somehow. I couldn't just leave him standing outside his apartment tomorrow morning, waiting for me. Well, not me for me, for his ride, but whatever. I could imagine the disappointed look on his face when he realised that I wasn't coming.... NO, when he realised that he wasn't going to get driven to school. I've really got to get out of this whole thinking that there's any way Michael could love me. There isn't. Dammit.  
  
So I sat and was mentally ticking off ways I could contact him. I couldn't IM him. I couldn't email him, what if he didn't get his email in time? I couldn't text him because I'm the only teenager on the planet without a mobile. That left one way. The phone.  
  
That kind of sucked. I love Michael but I knew I'd muck up a phone call. I mean, with IM at least you have time to think up clever answers. ON the phone the other person can hear you thinking practically. It's not like I could go "Hmmm, Michael, that's a very interesting point, I'll just put you on hold while I think up a clever answer."  
  
Plus, I'd just rung Lily and talked to her for like an hour. Now I was going to ring up and ask to talk to her brother. That was kind of weird.  
  
But there was nothing I could do. I was going to have to do it. I couldn't let the one I love suffer just because it was an awkward situation. So I rang.  
  
Lily picked up the phone. She croaked in this really creepy voice which could win her a big part in some horror movie. I think the way her nose was all bunged up added to the effect.  
  
ME: "just for future reference, Lily, you might not want to pick up the phone until you're better. You kind of scared me."  
  
LILY: "you again? Wod do you want now, Mia?  
  
I paused here; I wasn't sure how she was going to take it.  
  
ME: um, well, I kind of need to talk to Michael.  
  
LILY: my bruder? Wod do you want to talk to my bruder for?  
  
ME: it's about giving him a lift tomorrow morning. You see, I can't give him one tomorrow as...  
  
LILY: I can't belid he's still bumming lifts off you eben when I'm ill.  
  
ME: it's fine. Can I talk to him?  
  
LILY: yeh, I guess.  
  
Then she muttered something down the phone which sounded like "finally". But, I wasn't really listening, I was too anxious.  
  
After listening to Lily uselessly croak out Michael's name, I lost patience. ME: you might have to actually go get him, Lily.  
  
LILY: gob, what happeneb to you. This is what I geb for being ill. Dragging people out of der sick bebs shouldn't be allobed,  
  
Then she got Michael and as he answered the phone I tried to keep it casual.  
  
MICHAEL: Mia? Hey.  
  
ME: hey, um, I was just ringing about tomorrow.  
  
I then gabbled it out. I wasn't sure what to say.  
  
ME: I'm afraid we can't give you lift tomorrow as I'm going to the d.....  
  
I couldn't say I was going to the dermatologist though. That would make him think I'm like Lana or someone.  
  
ME:..the doctor's.  
  
MICHAEL: are you sick?  
  
ME: No, just a check-up, you know. I tried to IM you but you weren't online.  
  
MICHAEL: oh yeah, I got banned.  
  
ME: why?  
  
MICHAEL: causing harm to someone when they're really sick.  
  
I laughed. And after that it was fine. I forgot all the weirdness of having to call him. We laughed and talked about school and stuff. So I lay back on his bed and imagined him actually being there in front of him.  
  
In the end we spent like an hour on the phone. And by then it was really late. So I'll have to sleep. And not do any homework.  
  
It doesn't matter though, cos I'm not going to school tomorrow morning.  
  
* I tried to make this long to make up for not having updated for like a month. But I think I may have overdone it slightly. Oh well. You will now feel strangely compelled to click on the button to your right and write me a review. * 


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